hernan_amado
Lifetime Total
100+
IMDb Member
22 years
Reviews
Elephant (2003)
A disappointment as huge as an Elephant!
"Elephant" tells the story of high school students who are bored with school and some who are mocked such as nerds, naïve students, etc. It also tells the story of some who are successful such as the jock and his girlfriend and good-looking girls, though some of them have bulimia.
At the beginning of the film we see a blond guy and his father's story as well. He was drunk and had some serious issues at home. It would have been very interesting to know what happens next, but at the end this is not convincingly explained or justified, so the story of this blond guy is pointless and annoying as well.
In "Elephant" all we see are dull and long shots of students walking through the campus and doing nothing. The camera films them from behind making this look like a gun chasing them, but still it doesn't work to add any power or interest to the movie.
After all of these dull, uninteresting and pointless scenes. We are shown the story of two guys. One who plays the piano and the other who plays violent computer games. They're bored with school and seemingly annoyed by life.
As a result of their `supposed' boredom, they order some rifles on the
Internet. They receive them and what happens next is that they begin to kill all people at school with those rifles, but before that they have a gay scene, which by the way is completely unbelievable. These guys didn't even look like they were kissing. I don't even understand why many people make a such big deal about a scene that is poorly done. This is one of most contrived and disappointing scenes ever. This scene has no depth, no explanation or justification. It seems it was just added to impress people and it did, but unfortunately it didn't work for me. It left me cold; however the scene in which we see the guy playing violent games while listening to the the piano music is beautifully done, original and interesting.
After the gay scene, these two guys get on the car, get to school and begin to kill people as if they were crazy. This shooting is not believable or convincing. It looked like "Scary Movie 3". All of this blood seemed just red paint and the victims didn't look as frightened as they should be. The acting is not believable either. These youngsters don't know how to
handle the emotions well and they make this film an overdone and simplistic drama, which looks like a comedy instead. Nothing is shocking or convincing. On the contrary everything is annoying and implausible. Why on earth would those two guys want to kill so many people? Just because they played violent games and were bored and mocked? Not strong reasons to believe. Anyone can play violent games (I used to), be bored or mocked, but it doesn't mean they just go out and kill people. It might have happened in real life, but it doesn't mean Gus Van Sant can carry out this convincingly; however Michael Moore in his successful documentary `Bowling for Columbine' did.
We needed to know more about the guys' background. We needed to know what happened after all these killings and ultimately we needed to know why it's ridiculously called `Elephant'.
I didn't get the meaning of Elephant at all, and even if there was one it's completely farfetched! The only conclusion I drew about the strange title is that it's called that way because the disappointment and the contrivances are as big as an Elephant. 3/10
At the beginning of the film we see a blond guy and his father's story as well. He was drunk and had some serious issues at home. It would have been very interesting to know what happens next, but at the end this is not convincingly explained or justified, so the story of this blond guy is pointless and annoying as well.
In "Elephant" all we see are dull and long shots of students walking through the campus and doing nothing. The camera films them from behind making this look like a gun chasing them, but still it doesn't work to add any power or interest to the movie.
After all of these dull, uninteresting and pointless scenes. We are shown the story of two guys. One who plays the piano and the other who plays violent computer games. They're bored with school and seemingly annoyed by life.
As a result of their `supposed' boredom, they order some rifles on the
Internet. They receive them and what happens next is that they begin to kill all people at school with those rifles, but before that they have a gay scene, which by the way is completely unbelievable. These guys didn't even look like they were kissing. I don't even understand why many people make a such big deal about a scene that is poorly done. This is one of most contrived and disappointing scenes ever. This scene has no depth, no explanation or justification. It seems it was just added to impress people and it did, but unfortunately it didn't work for me. It left me cold; however the scene in which we see the guy playing violent games while listening to the the piano music is beautifully done, original and interesting.
After the gay scene, these two guys get on the car, get to school and begin to kill people as if they were crazy. This shooting is not believable or convincing. It looked like "Scary Movie 3". All of this blood seemed just red paint and the victims didn't look as frightened as they should be. The acting is not believable either. These youngsters don't know how to
handle the emotions well and they make this film an overdone and simplistic drama, which looks like a comedy instead. Nothing is shocking or convincing. On the contrary everything is annoying and implausible. Why on earth would those two guys want to kill so many people? Just because they played violent games and were bored and mocked? Not strong reasons to believe. Anyone can play violent games (I used to), be bored or mocked, but it doesn't mean they just go out and kill people. It might have happened in real life, but it doesn't mean Gus Van Sant can carry out this convincingly; however Michael Moore in his successful documentary `Bowling for Columbine' did.
We needed to know more about the guys' background. We needed to know what happened after all these killings and ultimately we needed to know why it's ridiculously called `Elephant'.
I didn't get the meaning of Elephant at all, and even if there was one it's completely farfetched! The only conclusion I drew about the strange title is that it's called that way because the disappointment and the contrivances are as big as an Elephant. 3/10
Mystic River (2003)
Unbelievably disappointing, over praised and ridiculous!
"Mystic River" has received rave reviews around the world. It's been called one of the best pictures of the year and it's likely to get the Oscar. Why? I'd say it's because "Mystic River' with its fake power fooled people and critics as usually bad movies do. The perfect example is `A Beautiful Mind', `Forrest Gump', "Titanic", etc. `Mystic River' is fake and disappointing. Aside from the predictability and triviality, I found the acting unconvincing.
I can honestly say that "Mystic River" is one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. It pretends to be so moving, dramatic and powerful, but it fails in all counts.
`Mystic River' tells the story of three men who had a difficult childhood. One of them was `supposedly' raped, and the others had different problems. As time went on, one of them had problems with his missing wife and the other with penal antecedents.
Let's begin by the countless mistakes: 1. At the beginning of the movie we see these three men in their childhood. 25 years go by, but the characters look terribly old, especially Sean Penn's. It's ridiculous they'd get so old, while Kevin Bacon's character looks rather young. In fact much younger than his friends.
2. The movie is overdone. There wasn't a scene that I found powerful or completely believable. Sean Penn is annoying. His performance is over the top, without his showing any real feelings. He tries so hard and makes it what it is `A mess'.
3. Tim Robbins also overacts. He is too ridiculous and his lack of seriousness as an actor is evident. He was `supposedly' abused as a child, but eventually he marries and has a child. He keeps his frustration inside himself, but then he shows his anger by killing a man who was abusing another child. That's too much easy and farfetched. Oddly enough it happens the same day, in which Penn's character's daughter is brutally killed.
4. The wives are completely disagreeable. They just keep sobbing and hugging each other making this an annoying flick. I'd have felt for them, but the story is so contrived and pointless that it's hard to do so.
5. The score is dull and lacks liveliness or even a dramatic touch to make it at least more powerful, but it's the same foolish music over and over again.
6. Kevin Bacon's character is a waste of time. I don't see the point of his being in the movie at all. The whole movie would've been the same without his presence. It's contrived that he's a murder investigator and that he has a missing wife with a child and at the ending they just appear again like a fairy tale.
7. The ending is terribly weak, predictable, bad and laughable. It left me with the feeling as if it were good to take the law into your hands and kill the suspects of the murder of your daughter, and then feel proud of doing so. Then at a parade Kevin Bacon's character with his wife and child happily smiles at Mr. Penn's character. It's just corny and completely annoying. In a way it reminds me of the triviality of `The Hours', but in a masculine version. They are both disappointing and gushy and they're both over praised.
`Mystic River' without a doubt is a huge disappointing. The fact that it was shot in 39 days says so. It was a haste effort with no depth and accuracy looking contrived and unbelievably trite. 3/10
I can honestly say that "Mystic River" is one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. It pretends to be so moving, dramatic and powerful, but it fails in all counts.
`Mystic River' tells the story of three men who had a difficult childhood. One of them was `supposedly' raped, and the others had different problems. As time went on, one of them had problems with his missing wife and the other with penal antecedents.
Let's begin by the countless mistakes: 1. At the beginning of the movie we see these three men in their childhood. 25 years go by, but the characters look terribly old, especially Sean Penn's. It's ridiculous they'd get so old, while Kevin Bacon's character looks rather young. In fact much younger than his friends.
2. The movie is overdone. There wasn't a scene that I found powerful or completely believable. Sean Penn is annoying. His performance is over the top, without his showing any real feelings. He tries so hard and makes it what it is `A mess'.
3. Tim Robbins also overacts. He is too ridiculous and his lack of seriousness as an actor is evident. He was `supposedly' abused as a child, but eventually he marries and has a child. He keeps his frustration inside himself, but then he shows his anger by killing a man who was abusing another child. That's too much easy and farfetched. Oddly enough it happens the same day, in which Penn's character's daughter is brutally killed.
4. The wives are completely disagreeable. They just keep sobbing and hugging each other making this an annoying flick. I'd have felt for them, but the story is so contrived and pointless that it's hard to do so.
5. The score is dull and lacks liveliness or even a dramatic touch to make it at least more powerful, but it's the same foolish music over and over again.
6. Kevin Bacon's character is a waste of time. I don't see the point of his being in the movie at all. The whole movie would've been the same without his presence. It's contrived that he's a murder investigator and that he has a missing wife with a child and at the ending they just appear again like a fairy tale.
7. The ending is terribly weak, predictable, bad and laughable. It left me with the feeling as if it were good to take the law into your hands and kill the suspects of the murder of your daughter, and then feel proud of doing so. Then at a parade Kevin Bacon's character with his wife and child happily smiles at Mr. Penn's character. It's just corny and completely annoying. In a way it reminds me of the triviality of `The Hours', but in a masculine version. They are both disappointing and gushy and they're both over praised.
`Mystic River' without a doubt is a huge disappointing. The fact that it was shot in 39 days says so. It was a haste effort with no depth and accuracy looking contrived and unbelievably trite. 3/10
The Pianist (2002)
Not What I Expected!
Once I found out there was a movie called "The Pianist" and that it won la palme d'or in the Cannes Festival, I wanted to see it as soon as possible, especially just after learning Woijeck Kilar was providing the musical score in this movie. That's one of the main reasons I thought it'd be my favorite movie. Unfortunately it is not.
I must begin by saying that the movie has some quality and is really interesting because it's based on the true events of a War survivor, which is worth watching; however, I found the movie very simple. "Simple" is the word I must use throughout this review, because the movie tells a very dramatic story, but the acting is shallow and Adrien Brody really doesn't show dramatic expressions or sadness. He's too simple and quiet while losing everything and being a survivor of War; he acts as if nothing happened. He's too quiet, and uninteresting. When playing the piano his facial expressions seem to be dissembled, instead he seems not to really feel the music he's playing as any great pianist would.
Adrien Brody's last scene where he's found by the police who want to catch the Germans and says "I'm cold" is overdone, It's not moving as it pretends to be; on the contrary it's pretentious and really unbelievable. Adrien Brody annoyed me with his quietness, he should have shown suffering and dramatic expressions without him overacting, but he didn't. He was too calmed, it seemed he didn't realize he was In a War. I knew he'd win an Oscar, even though his performance wasn't so good, however I'm happy that he did, because he's young and needs to take on more important roles to really show better acting skills.
Another disappointment of this film, is Kilar's music. As I mentioned earlier, I thought his music would be as beautiful as the musical score he provided in 1996's "Portrait of a lady". however, his music in "Portrait of a Lady" puts the music of "the Pianist" to shame. The music in "Portrait" is way more beautiful, interesting and dramatic; however, in "The Pianist" it's dull, simple, and with no depth. The music played by Adrien Brody is not really one of the pieces I like, it's too quiet, simple and romantic, which I dislike; however the music in "Portrait of a Lady" is a triumph, because it's so dramatic, and so beautiful that you can't really stop listening to it, especially the shubert's part played by one of the supporting characters in the movie.
Of course "The Pianist" is not a total loss at all. It really shows very sad scenes, one I can remember is when the Nazis threw a person in a wheeled chair out of the window. Another great scene is when the people had nothing to eat and were really starving. I also liked the scene where the little boy tried to cross the wall and was trapped in it and Adrien Brody tried to help him.
To me the greatest scene was when the German was touched by Adrian's playing, and helped him survive. That was really great and shows the complexity, sadness and realism of War.
The pianist has very disappointing parts. It's not really what I expected; however it's still one of the best movies of 2002 and deserves all the praise it received. 7/10
I must begin by saying that the movie has some quality and is really interesting because it's based on the true events of a War survivor, which is worth watching; however, I found the movie very simple. "Simple" is the word I must use throughout this review, because the movie tells a very dramatic story, but the acting is shallow and Adrien Brody really doesn't show dramatic expressions or sadness. He's too simple and quiet while losing everything and being a survivor of War; he acts as if nothing happened. He's too quiet, and uninteresting. When playing the piano his facial expressions seem to be dissembled, instead he seems not to really feel the music he's playing as any great pianist would.
Adrien Brody's last scene where he's found by the police who want to catch the Germans and says "I'm cold" is overdone, It's not moving as it pretends to be; on the contrary it's pretentious and really unbelievable. Adrien Brody annoyed me with his quietness, he should have shown suffering and dramatic expressions without him overacting, but he didn't. He was too calmed, it seemed he didn't realize he was In a War. I knew he'd win an Oscar, even though his performance wasn't so good, however I'm happy that he did, because he's young and needs to take on more important roles to really show better acting skills.
Another disappointment of this film, is Kilar's music. As I mentioned earlier, I thought his music would be as beautiful as the musical score he provided in 1996's "Portrait of a lady". however, his music in "Portrait of a Lady" puts the music of "the Pianist" to shame. The music in "Portrait" is way more beautiful, interesting and dramatic; however, in "The Pianist" it's dull, simple, and with no depth. The music played by Adrien Brody is not really one of the pieces I like, it's too quiet, simple and romantic, which I dislike; however the music in "Portrait of a Lady" is a triumph, because it's so dramatic, and so beautiful that you can't really stop listening to it, especially the shubert's part played by one of the supporting characters in the movie.
Of course "The Pianist" is not a total loss at all. It really shows very sad scenes, one I can remember is when the Nazis threw a person in a wheeled chair out of the window. Another great scene is when the people had nothing to eat and were really starving. I also liked the scene where the little boy tried to cross the wall and was trapped in it and Adrien Brody tried to help him.
To me the greatest scene was when the German was touched by Adrian's playing, and helped him survive. That was really great and shows the complexity, sadness and realism of War.
The pianist has very disappointing parts. It's not really what I expected; however it's still one of the best movies of 2002 and deserves all the praise it received. 7/10
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
Without a doubt! The best movie of 2001
"Mulholland Drive" is one of those movies that'll really make you think about everything you see in life. It's an inspiring film that deserves all the praise it has received. The film is so mysterious, interesting and disgustingly beautiful. I say, "disgusting" just for the love scenes and some gore, and adult stuff, but it just shows two human beings loving each other.
After reading so many comments on this movie, it's hard to believe that many people hated and insulted the movie, but of course "Mulholland Drive" isn't everyone's cup of tea. Its abusive themes, sex scenes, confusing story, and unhappy ending are some of the reasons why the movie is disliked by others.
"Mulholland Drive" does have a point. It really has a story to tell, and it's not an overly simple or an incoherent story as many people state. It's really a powerful and inspiring tale, that of a woman who wants to be a recognized actress in Hollywood with a lot of fans and money. "Mulholland Drive" shows her dream, her impossible dream in Hollywood. We all dream of having something we don't have right now. What's the problem with this movie, then? Dreams are beautiful, surrealistic, and unavoidable. That's what happens to Diane Sewlyn (perfectly played by Naomi Watts) She dreams of being the actress she cannot be. Her life is a misery because of losing the part to her lover Camila/Rita (Laura Helena Herrigan) and then she hires someone to kill her, and what we see after that is Diane's dream She dreams of not letting Rita die and living with her and falling in love with her again. She dreams of having another opportunity in life.
That's my interpretation of the whole movie; however, some other people could say that it all happens in Rita's imagination after the accident. That is a possibility as well; however, my interpretation makes much more sense, and provides an explanation of what the whole story is about.
The opening sequences are excellent, so full of horror, action and mystery. The first scene where you see Diane as an actress is amazing. The second scene where you see a car being hit by another car driven by a lot of drunken young people is a perfect beginning as well. Those scenes are so intense that you really want to know what's going to happen to Rita. But the best scene of all is the scene where the bum appears; He is appalling; you wonder what he is doing in that movie. What scenes! I love the scene when the bum first appears, because you learn that even in Hollywood there are penniless and frightening people, and also that Hollywood is not what it pretends to be -- "A great, rich city of dreams".
Naomi Watts gives a pitch-perfect, emotionally devastating performance. It's the role of a lifetime. Her facial expressions are totally convincing and strong. The part where she's in Silencio's club is perfect. Her expressions are dramatic without her overacting. Her eyes turn red and she is quite equal to the complexity of her role. Another of her amazing scenes is where she's feeling jealous because Camilla/Rita is kissing a man. She doesn't ruin any scene; She is totally believable in the whole movie. She should have won an Oscar for best actress in a leading role. She puts Halle Berry, Sissy Spacek, Nicole Kidman, and the other best actress nominees to shame. They don't really match the complexity of Naomi's character. Naomi is just perfect for the role. At the beginning you can accept her as a beautiful, dreamy, happy, tender and nice woman called Betty who just arrives at Hollywood, and at the end you really accept her as the bitter, jealous, frustrated and hateful Diane Sewlyn. Naomi's performance is without doubt the best of the year!
Laura Helena Herrigan is also a revelation. She's not as good as Naomi, but she also gives a very strong and convincing performance as Naomi's lover. Her scenes in Silencio's club are excellent and also when she opens the blue box her performance is believable and dramatic. Those scenes are so intense, dense and unexpected.
The direction is stunning as well as the editing and the musical score. "Mulholland Drive" succeeds in showing how fake Hollywood is. It also shows poverty, jealousy, violence and the unhappiness of some people in the so-called `City of Dreams'.
The ending is perfect. The final scene is brilliant because you see Diane's dream getting crushed and also the final cut where a person says `silencio' in an evil way is totally interesting and believable. It shows the dream is over and that everybody and everything must be in silence!
David Lynch has created a masterpiece; I haven't seen any other of his movies, but if they're similar to Mulholland Drive, he must be one of the best directors in film history. The women he chooses are so good looking that it's hard not to pay attention to their story. Mulholland Drive is a triumph, and without a doubt the best movie of 2001. 9/10
After reading so many comments on this movie, it's hard to believe that many people hated and insulted the movie, but of course "Mulholland Drive" isn't everyone's cup of tea. Its abusive themes, sex scenes, confusing story, and unhappy ending are some of the reasons why the movie is disliked by others.
"Mulholland Drive" does have a point. It really has a story to tell, and it's not an overly simple or an incoherent story as many people state. It's really a powerful and inspiring tale, that of a woman who wants to be a recognized actress in Hollywood with a lot of fans and money. "Mulholland Drive" shows her dream, her impossible dream in Hollywood. We all dream of having something we don't have right now. What's the problem with this movie, then? Dreams are beautiful, surrealistic, and unavoidable. That's what happens to Diane Sewlyn (perfectly played by Naomi Watts) She dreams of being the actress she cannot be. Her life is a misery because of losing the part to her lover Camila/Rita (Laura Helena Herrigan) and then she hires someone to kill her, and what we see after that is Diane's dream She dreams of not letting Rita die and living with her and falling in love with her again. She dreams of having another opportunity in life.
That's my interpretation of the whole movie; however, some other people could say that it all happens in Rita's imagination after the accident. That is a possibility as well; however, my interpretation makes much more sense, and provides an explanation of what the whole story is about.
The opening sequences are excellent, so full of horror, action and mystery. The first scene where you see Diane as an actress is amazing. The second scene where you see a car being hit by another car driven by a lot of drunken young people is a perfect beginning as well. Those scenes are so intense that you really want to know what's going to happen to Rita. But the best scene of all is the scene where the bum appears; He is appalling; you wonder what he is doing in that movie. What scenes! I love the scene when the bum first appears, because you learn that even in Hollywood there are penniless and frightening people, and also that Hollywood is not what it pretends to be -- "A great, rich city of dreams".
Naomi Watts gives a pitch-perfect, emotionally devastating performance. It's the role of a lifetime. Her facial expressions are totally convincing and strong. The part where she's in Silencio's club is perfect. Her expressions are dramatic without her overacting. Her eyes turn red and she is quite equal to the complexity of her role. Another of her amazing scenes is where she's feeling jealous because Camilla/Rita is kissing a man. She doesn't ruin any scene; She is totally believable in the whole movie. She should have won an Oscar for best actress in a leading role. She puts Halle Berry, Sissy Spacek, Nicole Kidman, and the other best actress nominees to shame. They don't really match the complexity of Naomi's character. Naomi is just perfect for the role. At the beginning you can accept her as a beautiful, dreamy, happy, tender and nice woman called Betty who just arrives at Hollywood, and at the end you really accept her as the bitter, jealous, frustrated and hateful Diane Sewlyn. Naomi's performance is without doubt the best of the year!
Laura Helena Herrigan is also a revelation. She's not as good as Naomi, but she also gives a very strong and convincing performance as Naomi's lover. Her scenes in Silencio's club are excellent and also when she opens the blue box her performance is believable and dramatic. Those scenes are so intense, dense and unexpected.
The direction is stunning as well as the editing and the musical score. "Mulholland Drive" succeeds in showing how fake Hollywood is. It also shows poverty, jealousy, violence and the unhappiness of some people in the so-called `City of Dreams'.
The ending is perfect. The final scene is brilliant because you see Diane's dream getting crushed and also the final cut where a person says `silencio' in an evil way is totally interesting and believable. It shows the dream is over and that everybody and everything must be in silence!
David Lynch has created a masterpiece; I haven't seen any other of his movies, but if they're similar to Mulholland Drive, he must be one of the best directors in film history. The women he chooses are so good looking that it's hard not to pay attention to their story. Mulholland Drive is a triumph, and without a doubt the best movie of 2001. 9/10
The Ring (2002)
Naomi Watt's second triumph!
After her pitch perfect emotionally devastating performance in 2001's "Mulholland Drive". Naomi Watts comes up with another triumphant film, which is "The Ring". Although "The Ring" is not as powerful and inspiring as "Mulholland Drive". "The Ring" deserves the highest possible accolade as well.
The direction is simply superb. Once you see this movie, it gets its hooks in you. I saw it at midnight about two months ago, and I thought I'd fall asleep, but I didn't. The story was so clever, that it doesn't let people close their eyes for a minute.
The opening sequences are excellent; you really understand the story once you see them. You see two young girls kidding each other about the videotape that supposedly kills people, and they find out it's true and then they get killed. Then, Naomi Watts' presence in the film makes you watch without getting bored or annoyed for a second.
The surrealistic video is so interesting, as well as the whole story. It's not a movie in which monsters kill others, but a psychological horror story that'll make you think a great deal about the complexity of Samara's personality.
It also has the most unpredictable and brilliant scenes in film history. For instance the scene where the horse is chasing Naomi's character is great. You'd never expect that. You say in your mind, "Wait! It's not her time to die yet". This scene is so full of horror, mystery, seriousness, etc. Another excellent scene is when she tries to find out about Samara's life and then a man kills himself in the bathroom. However, the best and scariest of all is when Rachel falls into the well and also when Samara gets out of the TV.
What scenes! Besides its wonderful and dark photography, and strong acting by the majority of the cast, this shows the dark side of a little girl who could be so tender, but has reasons to kill even the nicest person. It'll make you think of how far a person can go because of being ignored by their family or other people.
The final scenes are very unexpected, and understandable. If you really pay attention to this movie you'll understand the whole thing. Without a doubt "The Ring" is one of the most interesting and clever psychological horror movies ever made! I could say it's the best movie of 2002, since most of 2002 movies are very bad. An example would be the corny "The Hours" and the overrated "Lord of the Rings".
Naomi Watts has become one of my favorite actresses. She's reached perfection and respect with "Mulholland Drive" and "The Ring". She's given the roles of a lifetime, and she'll be getting fantastic offers, which she obviously deserves. 8.5/10
The direction is simply superb. Once you see this movie, it gets its hooks in you. I saw it at midnight about two months ago, and I thought I'd fall asleep, but I didn't. The story was so clever, that it doesn't let people close their eyes for a minute.
The opening sequences are excellent; you really understand the story once you see them. You see two young girls kidding each other about the videotape that supposedly kills people, and they find out it's true and then they get killed. Then, Naomi Watts' presence in the film makes you watch without getting bored or annoyed for a second.
The surrealistic video is so interesting, as well as the whole story. It's not a movie in which monsters kill others, but a psychological horror story that'll make you think a great deal about the complexity of Samara's personality.
It also has the most unpredictable and brilliant scenes in film history. For instance the scene where the horse is chasing Naomi's character is great. You'd never expect that. You say in your mind, "Wait! It's not her time to die yet". This scene is so full of horror, mystery, seriousness, etc. Another excellent scene is when she tries to find out about Samara's life and then a man kills himself in the bathroom. However, the best and scariest of all is when Rachel falls into the well and also when Samara gets out of the TV.
What scenes! Besides its wonderful and dark photography, and strong acting by the majority of the cast, this shows the dark side of a little girl who could be so tender, but has reasons to kill even the nicest person. It'll make you think of how far a person can go because of being ignored by their family or other people.
The final scenes are very unexpected, and understandable. If you really pay attention to this movie you'll understand the whole thing. Without a doubt "The Ring" is one of the most interesting and clever psychological horror movies ever made! I could say it's the best movie of 2002, since most of 2002 movies are very bad. An example would be the corny "The Hours" and the overrated "Lord of the Rings".
Naomi Watts has become one of my favorite actresses. She's reached perfection and respect with "Mulholland Drive" and "The Ring". She's given the roles of a lifetime, and she'll be getting fantastic offers, which she obviously deserves. 8.5/10
Adaptation. (2002)
Not bad, but dull
"Adaption" is not a bad film; it really focuses on Nicolas Cage's character when he is trying to adapt a book writen by Susan (Mery Streep). The story shows us the struggle a man has to go through to achieve his goal; however there are some unsatisfactory performances. One of them is that of Nicolas Cage. He's too obvious for the part. He doesn't really do anything original enough to make us care about him. Most of his fantasies are farfetched and Nicolas Cage isn't quite interesting enough to pull it off. He overacts most of the time. He needed to be more confident with his character and not to make a mess with it. The scene where he's sweating to write the story is overdone: he tries too hard and ruins the scene.
Chris Cooper is good, though he's too exaggerated in his appearance, but then he shows his great acting skills; however, his performance in American Beauty was much more challenging and interesting.
Meryl Streep is not a disappointment as she was in "The Hours". She is perfect for the role. She really understands her character and shows maturity in her handling of it. She was the only one who really made me care about the whole movie.
The movie has some merit. The story is interesting, since it shows the way some screenplays begin to be written. However there are some dull and unnecesary moments like the main character talking to his imaginary twin, which becomes really farfetched.
The movie isn't one I'd recommend; however, if you want to see some good acting by Streep, Cooper and a cameo by John Malcovich you must see it. Otherwise, don't watch it because it drags on without really saying anything and some of the scenes are very farfetched. This is not worse than "Being John Malcovich", but it isn't much better either. 6/10
Chris Cooper is good, though he's too exaggerated in his appearance, but then he shows his great acting skills; however, his performance in American Beauty was much more challenging and interesting.
Meryl Streep is not a disappointment as she was in "The Hours". She is perfect for the role. She really understands her character and shows maturity in her handling of it. She was the only one who really made me care about the whole movie.
The movie has some merit. The story is interesting, since it shows the way some screenplays begin to be written. However there are some dull and unnecesary moments like the main character talking to his imaginary twin, which becomes really farfetched.
The movie isn't one I'd recommend; however, if you want to see some good acting by Streep, Cooper and a cameo by John Malcovich you must see it. Otherwise, don't watch it because it drags on without really saying anything and some of the scenes are very farfetched. This is not worse than "Being John Malcovich", but it isn't much better either. 6/10
Gangs of New York (2002)
Unrealistic and farfetched, however it has some merit!
"Gangs of New York" is not an easy film to watch. It's excessively violent. There's a lot of blood and some disturbing scenes. I don't mind any of those things as long as they are not farfetched as they were in this movie. The violence is so farfetched that you think it's only a movie and that there is no way it could have ever happened. The whole thing goes beyond being realistic, so it becomes forced and unbelievable.
The love story becomes predictable and uninteresting. We don't really seem to have any reasons to care about the love story of Amsterdam and Cameron's characters. It all becomes too farfetched. Daniel Day Lewis is not as great as many people are saying. He seems to be too prepared for his performance, so that it becomes what it is, only a "performance".
Leonardo Dicaprio is miscast. He's much better doing other kinds of dramas or comedies like "Catch me if you Can". You're so used to seeing him as the nice boy that it's hard for him to fit in this part. However, he's passable as well as Cameron Díaz. Her performance is good, though she needs a better script to really show better acting skills. Her performance in the knife scenes is very powerful and strong. Her eyes turn red and when they do, it means they're really getting into the role as if they were living the drama itself.
Martin Scorsese annoys me as always. He annoyed me with movies like "The Last Temptation of Christ" and "Age of Innocence". He seems not to believe in God, since you see Amsterdam throwing the Bible into water (a gratuitous event) and you also see a family praying for their safety, but just as they finished praying, the War begins and people destroy their house. It's as if Martin Scorsese would've said to people "don't believe in God, throw the Bible into the lake, or see that God doesn't do what we ask Him to do). Those things really annoyed me in this movie, and they were gratuitous events. The movie could've been the same without those scenes.
"Gangs of New York" has some good points as well. There are some gripping scenes like the knife throwing scene and the fight between the butcher and Amsterdam. Cameron's performance is outstanding, and Leonardo's return in movies is nice to see. The story is predictable, but you really want Amsterdam to win, so it doesn't bother me.
Overall, "Gangs of New York" has many flaws, but it has good points as well, so it deserves a 6/10
The love story becomes predictable and uninteresting. We don't really seem to have any reasons to care about the love story of Amsterdam and Cameron's characters. It all becomes too farfetched. Daniel Day Lewis is not as great as many people are saying. He seems to be too prepared for his performance, so that it becomes what it is, only a "performance".
Leonardo Dicaprio is miscast. He's much better doing other kinds of dramas or comedies like "Catch me if you Can". You're so used to seeing him as the nice boy that it's hard for him to fit in this part. However, he's passable as well as Cameron Díaz. Her performance is good, though she needs a better script to really show better acting skills. Her performance in the knife scenes is very powerful and strong. Her eyes turn red and when they do, it means they're really getting into the role as if they were living the drama itself.
Martin Scorsese annoys me as always. He annoyed me with movies like "The Last Temptation of Christ" and "Age of Innocence". He seems not to believe in God, since you see Amsterdam throwing the Bible into water (a gratuitous event) and you also see a family praying for their safety, but just as they finished praying, the War begins and people destroy their house. It's as if Martin Scorsese would've said to people "don't believe in God, throw the Bible into the lake, or see that God doesn't do what we ask Him to do). Those things really annoyed me in this movie, and they were gratuitous events. The movie could've been the same without those scenes.
"Gangs of New York" has some good points as well. There are some gripping scenes like the knife throwing scene and the fight between the butcher and Amsterdam. Cameron's performance is outstanding, and Leonardo's return in movies is nice to see. The story is predictable, but you really want Amsterdam to win, so it doesn't bother me.
Overall, "Gangs of New York" has many flaws, but it has good points as well, so it deserves a 6/10
The Hours (2002)
Two Hours of complete nonsense and triviality!
Once I found out Stephen Daldry was directing a movie with the breathtaking Nicole Kidman, I couldn't wait to see "The Hours" as soon as possible. I thought I was going to congratulate everybody in this film, but unfortunately it's so disappointing I can barely find anything good to say about it.
Let's start with the mistakes: The three leading actresses are good, but they don't seem to show us why they suffer so much. There is too much needless suffering and it becomes annoying and just ridiculous.
Nicole Kidman's performance is not heartbreaking like the one she gives in the beautiful "Portrait of a lady" (1996). Her deep voice in this movie is just annoying and she doesn't seem to do much here. She's very simple and says nothing but the most conventional things. She's not really interesting enough to care about. Virginia Wolf just seems foolish to commit suicide instead of looking life in the face, as she says herself.
Julianne Moore's facial expressions are too farfetched. When she's in the bathroom, her performance is shallow and pretentious. Her kiss with another woman is inexplicable and annoying. There are not enough reasons to know why she did such a thing, neither are there strong reasons why she left her son.
Julianne's son in the movie gives the worst performance. He ruins every scene with his unconvincing crying. This boy really needs to take some acting lessons. When a boy cries, you can feel it and see it on his face and in his eyes, but I couldn't see anything like that in him. He's just shallow and his tears seem fake. What a disappointment! Of course he's just a kid, and you obviously can't expect a very convincing performance from a seven-year old boy, but still.
Another weakness of this mess is Meryl Streep. She's the one who makes this movie corny, sappy and completely annoying. Her performance is too exaggerated, and again there are not enough reasons why she suffers so much. I didn't care what her purposes were, or why she was homosexual. When she talks about her supposed unhappiness, she just looks ridiculous and it's not moving at all. Her supposed sufferings just made me laugh instead of touching me.
Well, after the story of these three stupid and supposedly unhappy women is told, you see Virginia committing suicide by going to a river with stones in her pockets to drown herself and that's the end! What a shame! I wish movies like this would never get made. As soon as "The Hours" ended I wanted to run off desperate crying because I had thought it was going to be my favorite movie. What a complete shame!
If you really want to see a movie showing a lovely and heartbreaking performance by Nicole Kidman, you must see "The Portrait of a Lady." She's the most beautiful woman on earth in that movie and she really has reasons to suffer a lot. She has married a devious man because of accepting the advice of her duplicitous friend (Madame Serena Merle), and her supposed friend and husband make her life a misery.
"The Hours" lacks what "Portrait of a Lady" has: intelligence, beauty, wonderful costumes, coldness, seriousness, etc. While "the Hours" is overrated, "Portrait of a Lady" is sadly underrated. It's a shame that people love a sappy movie like "The Hours" and fail to appreciate a terrific movie like "Portrait." ". I'm glad Nicole got the Oscar for "The Hours", but she deserved it for "Portrait of a lady." At least she's now getting the recognition she deserved for that.
I don't share the view of people who say this movie is very gloomy and depressing. The whole thing is just laughable. I wasn't moved at all by this, perhaps only by the scene where Julianne Moore is very old, but that's all. Ed Harris is good, though he seems to overact a little bit. However, he's the only one who really seems to have reasons to suffer and commit suicide.
Overall, the movie is one of the worst I have ever seen. I thought I'd love it, but surprisingly I disliked it. To me "The Hours" alongside the "Lord of the Rings" are two of the most overrated and disappointing movies of 2002! The only things that "the Hours" has going for it are its nice musical score, and Nicole's presence in the film. That's why I rate it a 4 out of 10!
Let's start with the mistakes: The three leading actresses are good, but they don't seem to show us why they suffer so much. There is too much needless suffering and it becomes annoying and just ridiculous.
Nicole Kidman's performance is not heartbreaking like the one she gives in the beautiful "Portrait of a lady" (1996). Her deep voice in this movie is just annoying and she doesn't seem to do much here. She's very simple and says nothing but the most conventional things. She's not really interesting enough to care about. Virginia Wolf just seems foolish to commit suicide instead of looking life in the face, as she says herself.
Julianne Moore's facial expressions are too farfetched. When she's in the bathroom, her performance is shallow and pretentious. Her kiss with another woman is inexplicable and annoying. There are not enough reasons to know why she did such a thing, neither are there strong reasons why she left her son.
Julianne's son in the movie gives the worst performance. He ruins every scene with his unconvincing crying. This boy really needs to take some acting lessons. When a boy cries, you can feel it and see it on his face and in his eyes, but I couldn't see anything like that in him. He's just shallow and his tears seem fake. What a disappointment! Of course he's just a kid, and you obviously can't expect a very convincing performance from a seven-year old boy, but still.
Another weakness of this mess is Meryl Streep. She's the one who makes this movie corny, sappy and completely annoying. Her performance is too exaggerated, and again there are not enough reasons why she suffers so much. I didn't care what her purposes were, or why she was homosexual. When she talks about her supposed unhappiness, she just looks ridiculous and it's not moving at all. Her supposed sufferings just made me laugh instead of touching me.
Well, after the story of these three stupid and supposedly unhappy women is told, you see Virginia committing suicide by going to a river with stones in her pockets to drown herself and that's the end! What a shame! I wish movies like this would never get made. As soon as "The Hours" ended I wanted to run off desperate crying because I had thought it was going to be my favorite movie. What a complete shame!
If you really want to see a movie showing a lovely and heartbreaking performance by Nicole Kidman, you must see "The Portrait of a Lady." She's the most beautiful woman on earth in that movie and she really has reasons to suffer a lot. She has married a devious man because of accepting the advice of her duplicitous friend (Madame Serena Merle), and her supposed friend and husband make her life a misery.
"The Hours" lacks what "Portrait of a Lady" has: intelligence, beauty, wonderful costumes, coldness, seriousness, etc. While "the Hours" is overrated, "Portrait of a Lady" is sadly underrated. It's a shame that people love a sappy movie like "The Hours" and fail to appreciate a terrific movie like "Portrait." ". I'm glad Nicole got the Oscar for "The Hours", but she deserved it for "Portrait of a lady." At least she's now getting the recognition she deserved for that.
I don't share the view of people who say this movie is very gloomy and depressing. The whole thing is just laughable. I wasn't moved at all by this, perhaps only by the scene where Julianne Moore is very old, but that's all. Ed Harris is good, though he seems to overact a little bit. However, he's the only one who really seems to have reasons to suffer and commit suicide.
Overall, the movie is one of the worst I have ever seen. I thought I'd love it, but surprisingly I disliked it. To me "The Hours" alongside the "Lord of the Rings" are two of the most overrated and disappointing movies of 2002! The only things that "the Hours" has going for it are its nice musical score, and Nicole's presence in the film. That's why I rate it a 4 out of 10!
American Psycho II: All American Girl (2002)
Worse than the first one!
Well, I must stress that I didn't like American Psycho I. I thought it was confusing and ridiculous, but I must write that I liked Christian Bale. He was a great psycho and he made it worthwhile.
Now, that there is a sequel. I wanted to see it, because I thought it was going to be better because the main character was a teenager, but unfortunately it didn't succeed. The girl, though good looking, isn't as scary or convincing as her role demands. Her performance is shallow and she can't do much with the horrible script she was given.
I kept wondering if it was a comedy or a drama. All I know it's very disappointing, and predictable, and not even worth watching. 3/10
Now, that there is a sequel. I wanted to see it, because I thought it was going to be better because the main character was a teenager, but unfortunately it didn't succeed. The girl, though good looking, isn't as scary or convincing as her role demands. Her performance is shallow and she can't do much with the horrible script she was given.
I kept wondering if it was a comedy or a drama. All I know it's very disappointing, and predictable, and not even worth watching. 3/10
Hilary and Jackie (1998)
Good, but there were some disappointing scenes!
`Hilary and Jackie' is based on a true story. It's an interesting movie about the lives of two sisters. They like each other a lot, but suffer from different situations in their musical life. What I like about this movie is that the story is well told and there aren't bad or good characters, just humans who show real emotions and frustrations.
Emily Watson is terrific. Her academy award nomination was well deserved. She really succeeds at playing a very complex and physically demanding role in this movie. Her character reminded me of her performance in `Breaking the Waves' which was somewhat similar.
Rachel Griffiths gives a pretty good performance as well; she really knows how mature her character is. She is able to be very convincing as a woman who'd give anything for her sister.
`Hilary and Jackie' is not a romantic movie. The acting is outstanding, but there could have been better character development. For instance, the director could have shown the real reasons why Jackie hated the cello or why she behaved in a strange way.
The story is tragic and appealing, but sometimes it lags without having the need to. Some of the disappointing scenes are Jackie being disturbing and they made her look really bad in the movie. Jackie's behavior was the most disappointing thing in this movie, instead of showing the great artist she was, they showed her as a neurotic and naughty person. In Addition to that the movie really doesn't need to devote so much time to showing Hilary and Jackie's lives as little girls. It wasn't necessary. The movie has some flaws, but it is worth watching. 7/10
Emily Watson is terrific. Her academy award nomination was well deserved. She really succeeds at playing a very complex and physically demanding role in this movie. Her character reminded me of her performance in `Breaking the Waves' which was somewhat similar.
Rachel Griffiths gives a pretty good performance as well; she really knows how mature her character is. She is able to be very convincing as a woman who'd give anything for her sister.
`Hilary and Jackie' is not a romantic movie. The acting is outstanding, but there could have been better character development. For instance, the director could have shown the real reasons why Jackie hated the cello or why she behaved in a strange way.
The story is tragic and appealing, but sometimes it lags without having the need to. Some of the disappointing scenes are Jackie being disturbing and they made her look really bad in the movie. Jackie's behavior was the most disappointing thing in this movie, instead of showing the great artist she was, they showed her as a neurotic and naughty person. In Addition to that the movie really doesn't need to devote so much time to showing Hilary and Jackie's lives as little girls. It wasn't necessary. The movie has some flaws, but it is worth watching. 7/10
Dogma (1999)
Pretentious and Irreverent!
Kevin Smith is a director who most of the time means well, but this time has made a very absurd and irreverent movie. With `Dogma,' Smith seems not to have much of interest to say. His critique of religion is gratuitous, and so crude that it leaves too much to be desired. This movie is excessively wordy, and there are pointless attacks on `The Piano,' `Star Wars,' `Indiana Jones,' and other movies. The people who come out looking really bad here are the actors. Actors who were recognized before like Linda Florentino, Alan Rickman, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Salma Hayek and the singer Alanis Morissette are made to appear grotesque in `Dogma.'
All of them get together to look for what they want. Throughout, there is a series of chaotic scenes like the one showing killings at a meeting, the appearance of a dirty monster, etc.
There is nothing left to appreciate in this movie. All of it shows a pretentious failure of imagination, which makes it very irritating to watch.
I'm glad Holly Hunter turned down the role of God. If she had played it, she would have left too much to be desired. 3/10
All of them get together to look for what they want. Throughout, there is a series of chaotic scenes like the one showing killings at a meeting, the appearance of a dirty monster, etc.
There is nothing left to appreciate in this movie. All of it shows a pretentious failure of imagination, which makes it very irritating to watch.
I'm glad Holly Hunter turned down the role of God. If she had played it, she would have left too much to be desired. 3/10
Scent of a Woman (1992)
Terribly Predictable and Corny!
Scent of a woman tells the story of Frank Slady, a retired military man who has become a bad-tempered person. He has lost his sight, and he tries to put an end to his life because he has been left with no motivations or interests in life, but in the course of the story a young man who works as his helper causes him to realize the value of existence.
The story at the beginning seems appealing, but after a while, it becomes unbelievably predictable. I kept guessing the ending all the way through the movie. Most movies with this kind of story have a happy ending. The scene where Frank (Al Pacino) tries to kill himself is overdone, and I kept laughing at it, because it was so obvious that he wouldn't succeed. I don't understand why Al Pacino won an Oscar for this movie. He was better in Insomnia.
Overall, the movie is very predictable, a little bit corny and neither moving nor interesting. 3/10
The story at the beginning seems appealing, but after a while, it becomes unbelievably predictable. I kept guessing the ending all the way through the movie. Most movies with this kind of story have a happy ending. The scene where Frank (Al Pacino) tries to kill himself is overdone, and I kept laughing at it, because it was so obvious that he wouldn't succeed. I don't understand why Al Pacino won an Oscar for this movie. He was better in Insomnia.
Overall, the movie is very predictable, a little bit corny and neither moving nor interesting. 3/10
The Shipping News (2001)
Simple, but Rather Disappointing!
Kevin Spacey, as Quoyle, a great newspaper reporter, is emotionally tired and suffers from his unfortunate marriage to a promiscuous woman who tries to get rid of their daughter, but the woman gets killed in a car accident. Having his daughter back, Quoyle leaves for Terranova with his aunt Agnis (Judi Dench) to claim his inherited house. Quoyle gets a job as a newspaper editor. Once he gets this job, he begins to build a new life and meets Wavey played by Julianne Moore. He finally discovers the dark story of his family and finally gets some respect.
`The Shipping News' is a somewhat interesting film that shouldn't be overlooked. The cinematography is well done and Juliane Moore's performance is really good. She is one of the most respected actresses in Hollywood, and she really needs to be appreciated for most of the movies she's done as well as Judy Dench.
I'd only recommend this movie to people who are into family movies; otherwise don't try watching this, because I don't think you'll like it. Some performances in this movie are good, however, the plot just didn't work for me because of the movie's predictability and Spacey's performance. He always seems to say to people `Hey, Look at me: I'm acting'. 6/10
`The Shipping News' is a somewhat interesting film that shouldn't be overlooked. The cinematography is well done and Juliane Moore's performance is really good. She is one of the most respected actresses in Hollywood, and she really needs to be appreciated for most of the movies she's done as well as Judy Dench.
I'd only recommend this movie to people who are into family movies; otherwise don't try watching this, because I don't think you'll like it. Some performances in this movie are good, however, the plot just didn't work for me because of the movie's predictability and Spacey's performance. He always seems to say to people `Hey, Look at me: I'm acting'. 6/10
Secrets & Lies (1996)
Simple, But Meaningful!
"Secrets and Lies" is a powerful drama. It really is moving and causes us to think about life and the difficulties and the surprises we all go through.
`Secrets and Lies' tells the story of a black woman, named Hortense, who tries to look for her biological mother just after her foster parents die. Hortense, who's a successful optometrist in London, finally finds her true mother working in a factory. Her mother is white and lives with a mean white daughter who doesn't respect her. The mother also has a brother who has problems with his wife.
What really made me think about this movie, was the way a woman who never saw her biological mother before, could be so sensible, and so nice to her, while the mother living with her other daughter since she was born suffers from her daughter's hatred and disrespectful attitude.
The story is really moving as you see Hortense talking to her real mother. Everything they said in the barbecue scene rang true to me. Another bonus is Brenda Blenthyn who is an amazing actress, and I'm glad she was nominated for an Oscar; however, I thought Nicole Kidman should have won it for "Portrait of a Lady", but sadly she didn't even receive a nomination.
I'm glad most of the script was improvised, as it makes the story believable and very interesting. An improvised script is so wonderful, because you can say it's a real family, who hasn't memorized the words they have to say. They all say interesting things according to the scene. An example would be the barbecue scene, in which everything seems so real. The actors seem to live the drama, without overdoing it.
It's not a movie you see everyday. I'm glad it got a lot of kudos. It really deserves them. I admire Leigh for making such a powerful movie that is so simple with a happy ending, but so meaningful at the same time. 8/10.
`Secrets and Lies' tells the story of a black woman, named Hortense, who tries to look for her biological mother just after her foster parents die. Hortense, who's a successful optometrist in London, finally finds her true mother working in a factory. Her mother is white and lives with a mean white daughter who doesn't respect her. The mother also has a brother who has problems with his wife.
What really made me think about this movie, was the way a woman who never saw her biological mother before, could be so sensible, and so nice to her, while the mother living with her other daughter since she was born suffers from her daughter's hatred and disrespectful attitude.
The story is really moving as you see Hortense talking to her real mother. Everything they said in the barbecue scene rang true to me. Another bonus is Brenda Blenthyn who is an amazing actress, and I'm glad she was nominated for an Oscar; however, I thought Nicole Kidman should have won it for "Portrait of a Lady", but sadly she didn't even receive a nomination.
I'm glad most of the script was improvised, as it makes the story believable and very interesting. An improvised script is so wonderful, because you can say it's a real family, who hasn't memorized the words they have to say. They all say interesting things according to the scene. An example would be the barbecue scene, in which everything seems so real. The actors seem to live the drama, without overdoing it.
It's not a movie you see everyday. I'm glad it got a lot of kudos. It really deserves them. I admire Leigh for making such a powerful movie that is so simple with a happy ending, but so meaningful at the same time. 8/10.
Breaking the Waves (1996)
The Portrait of Bess! (spoilers)
`Breaking the Waves' got a lot of accolades in 1996. From beginning to end this movie is a spiritual allegory with a great many Christian themes. It's a story about a pagan love, whose feminine character is Bess (Emily Watson). She is the combination of a saint and a naughty woman at the same time. On an island in the Atlantic, Bess challenges her dominant moral and marries a person named Jan (Stellan Skasgard). She makes love with him and begins to worship his masculine body and becomes obsessed with it.
'Breaking the Waves' is a spiritual fable in seven scenes with music and different landscapes. It shows the different kinds of Christian passions which are experienced by the main character after her husband has an accident and is seriously injured. She wants him to live because he says that if he dies it's because his love doesn't keep him alive any more. Bess makes love with other men to describe the experience and try to make him happy.
Lars Von Trier presents sexuality as a carnal element in Bess's life, but also as a loving sacrifice.
The portrait of Bess---her disturbing smile in front of her husband's sickly body, her naughty dresses---is a portrait of kindness and morality. Though having sex with strangers is the only way to save her loved one, Bess is strong; nevertheless, she finally dies.
Many people wonder about the ending of this movie. I'll try to give an explanation of what I understood:
In `Breaking the Waves', they ring the bell at the end of the movie after Bess dies because early at the wedding, Jan's friend asks the church to ring the Bell while Jan and Bess are leaving for the reception. It is then explained that the church refuses to ring the bell based on an old fashioned idea that it was not proper. The movie itself tries to show what a rigid and old fashioned place it is to live in. Rules like "women can't attend funerals" and "women can't talk in church" still remain while the outsiders (Jan and his friends) know that the rest of the world view these rules as reflecting outdated, almost barbaric thinking.
Most of the movie is based on Bess's struggle to fit in with this society. At the end her friends want to prove that Bess is better than the people who have condemned her to hell (the church group) and show others what Bess would have enjoyed seeing if she were alive. 7/10
'Breaking the Waves' is a spiritual fable in seven scenes with music and different landscapes. It shows the different kinds of Christian passions which are experienced by the main character after her husband has an accident and is seriously injured. She wants him to live because he says that if he dies it's because his love doesn't keep him alive any more. Bess makes love with other men to describe the experience and try to make him happy.
Lars Von Trier presents sexuality as a carnal element in Bess's life, but also as a loving sacrifice.
The portrait of Bess---her disturbing smile in front of her husband's sickly body, her naughty dresses---is a portrait of kindness and morality. Though having sex with strangers is the only way to save her loved one, Bess is strong; nevertheless, she finally dies.
Many people wonder about the ending of this movie. I'll try to give an explanation of what I understood:
In `Breaking the Waves', they ring the bell at the end of the movie after Bess dies because early at the wedding, Jan's friend asks the church to ring the Bell while Jan and Bess are leaving for the reception. It is then explained that the church refuses to ring the bell based on an old fashioned idea that it was not proper. The movie itself tries to show what a rigid and old fashioned place it is to live in. Rules like "women can't attend funerals" and "women can't talk in church" still remain while the outsiders (Jan and his friends) know that the rest of the world view these rules as reflecting outdated, almost barbaric thinking.
Most of the movie is based on Bess's struggle to fit in with this society. At the end her friends want to prove that Bess is better than the people who have condemned her to hell (the church group) and show others what Bess would have enjoyed seeing if she were alive. 7/10
Showgirls (1995)
What a disappointment!
With `Showgirls,' Verhoeven has made an obviously scandalous, shocking movie. He has already done such movies before. The story of the main character, disappointingly played by Elizabeth Berkeley, and her life in Las Vegas, could have been presented in an interesting and appealing manner, but the problem here is the terrible script. It lacks interest and originality, maintaining a continually monotonous pace in which characters remain mediocre because there is no plot interest. I don't really understand why Eszterhas is one of the highest paid writers in Hollywood.
Verhoeven gives us a combination of `Flashdance,' `A Chorus Line,' and music of the 40's that results in a movie that isn't artistic or interesting. The erotic elements are poorly handled here. The director seems barely in control.
As for the acting in this movie, there isn't much to say, except that I'm really disappointed that the nice girl in `Saved by the Bell' would have agreed to take on such a sleazy role. I hope Elizabeth Bentley will do better next time.
Overall, the movie is a disappointment. I expected a dramatic story about Las Vegas, perhaps a description of the dancer's discontentment with her job. I can understand that people like the movie because it presents a lot of naughtiness and naked bodies and such. That might have worked if the movie had had a good plot. But it doesn't, so it's better to avoid it. 3/10
Verhoeven gives us a combination of `Flashdance,' `A Chorus Line,' and music of the 40's that results in a movie that isn't artistic or interesting. The erotic elements are poorly handled here. The director seems barely in control.
As for the acting in this movie, there isn't much to say, except that I'm really disappointed that the nice girl in `Saved by the Bell' would have agreed to take on such a sleazy role. I hope Elizabeth Bentley will do better next time.
Overall, the movie is a disappointment. I expected a dramatic story about Las Vegas, perhaps a description of the dancer's discontentment with her job. I can understand that people like the movie because it presents a lot of naughtiness and naked bodies and such. That might have worked if the movie had had a good plot. But it doesn't, so it's better to avoid it. 3/10
Queen of the Damned (2002)
Watch "The Shadow of the Vampire" instead!
`Queen of the damned' was not what I was looking for. I thought this movie would be entertaining and somewhat scary, but it wasn't. The movie is farfetched and nothing interesting or really scary happens during the whole movie.
The story is about a vampire named Lestat (Stuart Townsend) who awakens after some long decades, willing to discover light. It doesn't satisfy him to be in darkness. Then he becomes a rock star. He becomes very famous and his music is heard by queen Akasha (Aaliya). She's the mother of all vampires. Akasha has been resting for centuries, waiting for the right moment to awaken again and dominate the world. Lestat's music is the revelation she was waiting for and Akasha wants Lestat to be with her to dominate the world. Akasha's evil power is great. She was the one who created all vampires. Vampires wouldn't exist if it weren't for her. After all, Akasha is used to having everything she wants to, and all that she wants is to frighten the whole earth.
Some of the supposedly scary scenes are just laughable and unbelievably trite. Overall the movie is a disappointment and I hope vampire movies will be improved in the future. If you are looking for a good vampire movie, watch `The Shadow of Vampire'. It seems to be the only worthwhile vampire movie I've ever seen. 3/10
The story is about a vampire named Lestat (Stuart Townsend) who awakens after some long decades, willing to discover light. It doesn't satisfy him to be in darkness. Then he becomes a rock star. He becomes very famous and his music is heard by queen Akasha (Aaliya). She's the mother of all vampires. Akasha has been resting for centuries, waiting for the right moment to awaken again and dominate the world. Lestat's music is the revelation she was waiting for and Akasha wants Lestat to be with her to dominate the world. Akasha's evil power is great. She was the one who created all vampires. Vampires wouldn't exist if it weren't for her. After all, Akasha is used to having everything she wants to, and all that she wants is to frighten the whole earth.
Some of the supposedly scary scenes are just laughable and unbelievably trite. Overall the movie is a disappointment and I hope vampire movies will be improved in the future. If you are looking for a good vampire movie, watch `The Shadow of Vampire'. It seems to be the only worthwhile vampire movie I've ever seen. 3/10
One Hour Photo (2002)
A big disappointment!
Being one of the greatest musical videos makers, Mark Romanek couldn't save this mess and ridiculous story. Robin Williams disappoints me as usual. He's always been foolish in most of his movies; therefore I find it really hard to see him in a supposedly dramatic role. His performance wasn't convincing or flashy. I only ended up laughing at his supposedly dramatic scenes. I'd never see a Robin Williams' movie again unless it really is worth it.
This mediocre and uninteresting story is about a photo clerk who is always smiling and wearing a blue uniform. He is a solitary, repressed, strange, lonely man who projects himself into the lives of this family through mounting their photos on his wall. He is convinced that people who want to develop their photos only want to remember happy moments of their lives and forget the tragedies and pathos of their lives by looking at those pictures.
The movie is a portrait of a sick individual and his deluded use of photos and his photo-printing job. The movie's purpose is to present a portrait of the Robin Williams' character, and to delineate his psychological sickness, the way he lives in a fantasy world, fueled by the stolen snapshots and his photo-printing job.
Sy (Robin Williams) thinks that people take pictures and develop them to remember that they were happy for an instant. These pictures separate us from being forgotten by others and if it has a meaning, it's that you should tell your future generations that you were there, that you existed, that you were young, happy, because somebody was worried about taking a picture of you.
I didn't find "One Hour Photo" so interesting or moving. Williams' performance leaves too much to be desired and he doesn't do anything other than pretend he's a good actor. The movie is not dark, thrilling or interesting as I heard. This is a disappointing and I hope I will never see something like this. 3/10
This mediocre and uninteresting story is about a photo clerk who is always smiling and wearing a blue uniform. He is a solitary, repressed, strange, lonely man who projects himself into the lives of this family through mounting their photos on his wall. He is convinced that people who want to develop their photos only want to remember happy moments of their lives and forget the tragedies and pathos of their lives by looking at those pictures.
The movie is a portrait of a sick individual and his deluded use of photos and his photo-printing job. The movie's purpose is to present a portrait of the Robin Williams' character, and to delineate his psychological sickness, the way he lives in a fantasy world, fueled by the stolen snapshots and his photo-printing job.
Sy (Robin Williams) thinks that people take pictures and develop them to remember that they were happy for an instant. These pictures separate us from being forgotten by others and if it has a meaning, it's that you should tell your future generations that you were there, that you existed, that you were young, happy, because somebody was worried about taking a picture of you.
I didn't find "One Hour Photo" so interesting or moving. Williams' performance leaves too much to be desired and he doesn't do anything other than pretend he's a good actor. The movie is not dark, thrilling or interesting as I heard. This is a disappointing and I hope I will never see something like this. 3/10
Monster's Ball (2001)
Unhappy characters in a powerful drama
Spoilers: `Monster's Ball' is about racism. Sonny is a person who's respectful toward black people; but his father (played by Billy Bob Thorton) hates them as much as you can imagine. His son is sad and frustrated because of his father's behavior. On the other hand, we see Halle Berry's character with her fat child. She's also frustrated and wants the best for her child, and she sometimes beats him because he keeps on eating snacks.
The quarrel between the father and the son is somewhat disturbing and unpredictable (I never thought Sonny would shoot himself with the gun he had to kill his father). This was a heart-wrenching scene. He commits suicide just after his father tells him he hates him with his whole being. It was also very unpredictable that the fat kid would get run over by a car causing his death. After the two main characters of this story lose their family, they meet in the restaurant where Leticia works and become friends. Then they become more than that. After the tragic events Bob doesn't hate black people and wants to go out with Leticia, but finally his father finds out about it and strife between Bob and Leticia is carried out. Then they make up, and while alone in their bedroom Leticia sees a portrait that her former husband made. She's scared at first, but she finally laughs and realizes along with Bob that life has to go on!
There are some scenes that could offend people such as the son having a sex scene with a woman at the beginning and also some profanity. The Swiss director Marc Foster has made a joyless, harsh film full of blood, sweat, and tears that concerns characters who have never been happy and probably never shall be. The characters of `Monster's Ball' are unhappy, they all live daily in pain, racism, anger, despair, solitude, misery and death. These characters are miserable; they don't know what happiness means. And when they know it's near them, they are not capable of identifying, accepting, enjoying or sharing it.
The main character is named Hank Grotowsky and he works in a Georgia town as a sergeant who takes care of condemned prisoners. One of these is a black man, condemned for the murder of a policeman. He's been 11 years in jail waiting for good news and every week he's visited by his wife and his child who is terribly fat and addicted to candies. He paints as well as his father does. Grotowsky is lonely and joyless. He never smiles, he never jokes or takes vacation, or practices sports. His only entertainment is to eat a chocolate ice cream with a little plastic spoon after having some soup. He lives with his invalid father who was also a sergeant; his father is as racist and intolerant as he is. Plus, a child who follows his steps, hating black people whom they shoot at to drive them off their property.
To Grotowsky the execution of a black man in the electric chair is a normal act which he calls a `Monster's Ball,' a ball that doesn't admit the participation of others. This man is very miserable. His mother committed suicide, and his wife has left him. He hates his father because he made him a bitter person and he can't stand to take care of him. Over the course of the story we see him having his father admitted to an asylum. He hates his own son, because he reminds him of his wife, and in one of the saddest and wildest scenes, he beats him in front of his partners and when he tries to attack him in his house, he beats him, insults him and threats him with a gun.
Leticia is also unhappy because she can't afford anything, and is a waitress in a restaurant. She's always watching TV for a long time smoking, and drinking half-naked because of the hot weather, while her husband is being executed and the son is eating a lot of candies behind her back.
In this primitive atmosphere, where black people are hated, the viewer feels moved by the many tragic events that happen to the characters and the way innocent people die violently. The two characters recognize each other while suffering, because death is also manifested in the agony of sex and the characters of Thornton and Berry have one of the most unpredictable, exciting and violent love scenes on a sofa in all positions.
At first the Swiss director didn't want to cast Berry as the main character of this story, because she was too beautiful and not so dark; however, he finally accepted her for the role and he's achieved a sad, and joyless movie, that shows that the characters can't be happy, not even with the ambiguous ending in which they apparently seem to be, since sex has achieved the miracle of putting a smile on their faces. 7/10
The quarrel between the father and the son is somewhat disturbing and unpredictable (I never thought Sonny would shoot himself with the gun he had to kill his father). This was a heart-wrenching scene. He commits suicide just after his father tells him he hates him with his whole being. It was also very unpredictable that the fat kid would get run over by a car causing his death. After the two main characters of this story lose their family, they meet in the restaurant where Leticia works and become friends. Then they become more than that. After the tragic events Bob doesn't hate black people and wants to go out with Leticia, but finally his father finds out about it and strife between Bob and Leticia is carried out. Then they make up, and while alone in their bedroom Leticia sees a portrait that her former husband made. She's scared at first, but she finally laughs and realizes along with Bob that life has to go on!
There are some scenes that could offend people such as the son having a sex scene with a woman at the beginning and also some profanity. The Swiss director Marc Foster has made a joyless, harsh film full of blood, sweat, and tears that concerns characters who have never been happy and probably never shall be. The characters of `Monster's Ball' are unhappy, they all live daily in pain, racism, anger, despair, solitude, misery and death. These characters are miserable; they don't know what happiness means. And when they know it's near them, they are not capable of identifying, accepting, enjoying or sharing it.
The main character is named Hank Grotowsky and he works in a Georgia town as a sergeant who takes care of condemned prisoners. One of these is a black man, condemned for the murder of a policeman. He's been 11 years in jail waiting for good news and every week he's visited by his wife and his child who is terribly fat and addicted to candies. He paints as well as his father does. Grotowsky is lonely and joyless. He never smiles, he never jokes or takes vacation, or practices sports. His only entertainment is to eat a chocolate ice cream with a little plastic spoon after having some soup. He lives with his invalid father who was also a sergeant; his father is as racist and intolerant as he is. Plus, a child who follows his steps, hating black people whom they shoot at to drive them off their property.
To Grotowsky the execution of a black man in the electric chair is a normal act which he calls a `Monster's Ball,' a ball that doesn't admit the participation of others. This man is very miserable. His mother committed suicide, and his wife has left him. He hates his father because he made him a bitter person and he can't stand to take care of him. Over the course of the story we see him having his father admitted to an asylum. He hates his own son, because he reminds him of his wife, and in one of the saddest and wildest scenes, he beats him in front of his partners and when he tries to attack him in his house, he beats him, insults him and threats him with a gun.
Leticia is also unhappy because she can't afford anything, and is a waitress in a restaurant. She's always watching TV for a long time smoking, and drinking half-naked because of the hot weather, while her husband is being executed and the son is eating a lot of candies behind her back.
In this primitive atmosphere, where black people are hated, the viewer feels moved by the many tragic events that happen to the characters and the way innocent people die violently. The two characters recognize each other while suffering, because death is also manifested in the agony of sex and the characters of Thornton and Berry have one of the most unpredictable, exciting and violent love scenes on a sofa in all positions.
At first the Swiss director didn't want to cast Berry as the main character of this story, because she was too beautiful and not so dark; however, he finally accepted her for the role and he's achieved a sad, and joyless movie, that shows that the characters can't be happy, not even with the ambiguous ending in which they apparently seem to be, since sex has achieved the miracle of putting a smile on their faces. 7/10
Heaven (2002)
Pessimistic and Joyless! The Portrait of a naive killer!
`Heaven' is different, very different from all the movies made in Hollywood. `Heaven' features Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi. It's from the director of `run Lola run'. It's a story about the main characters overstepping love and madness. It was written by Krysztof Kieslowky and his partner Krystof Piesewics. The perfection of cinematography and sound carry one of the most destructive love stories.
Heaven's direction was first offered to Anthony Miguella (Director of the acclaimed movie `the English Patient), but he declined; however he accepted to be the producer. Since he didn't accept, the direction was carried out by Tykwer (Creator of Run Lola Run)
Tykwer must be proud of having directed a disturbing, beautiful and intelligent film, which is a look into the darkest zones of soul. Whoever knows the work of Kieslowski, they know that destiny, fatality, and coincidences make his movies dark and depressive with characters who look for an exit. Tykwer made a couple of changes in the original screenplay, but the spirit from Poland is still felt.
At first the viewers behold the virtual images that a chopper produces and a voice that warns about the fatality of height! In the end, the viewer joins the final scenes with the first scenes to realize the painful and surprising ending.
This is the story of Philippa (Cate Blanchet) who's thin and beautiful. She's an English teacher, whose husband dies because of an overdose; she tries to get even and plants a bomb in a high-rise apartment, killing four innocent people, while her only target was the drug dealer. She's captured and questioned. While being questioned, she meets a young official (Giovanni Ribisi) who changes her life although she knows she's already dead for everybody and that her mistake sank her forever. She's already guilt-ridden.
In most Tykwer's movies, his characters are filled with despair, anguish and pain. In this case even though the viewers don't want to, they like the killer of 4 innocent people, and encourage her to be free, and go along with her on that trip, which gets her closer to hell. The viewer only waits for the moment, in which, the naive and quiet boy who acts on a simple animal impulse will save her. 7/10
Heaven's direction was first offered to Anthony Miguella (Director of the acclaimed movie `the English Patient), but he declined; however he accepted to be the producer. Since he didn't accept, the direction was carried out by Tykwer (Creator of Run Lola Run)
Tykwer must be proud of having directed a disturbing, beautiful and intelligent film, which is a look into the darkest zones of soul. Whoever knows the work of Kieslowski, they know that destiny, fatality, and coincidences make his movies dark and depressive with characters who look for an exit. Tykwer made a couple of changes in the original screenplay, but the spirit from Poland is still felt.
At first the viewers behold the virtual images that a chopper produces and a voice that warns about the fatality of height! In the end, the viewer joins the final scenes with the first scenes to realize the painful and surprising ending.
This is the story of Philippa (Cate Blanchet) who's thin and beautiful. She's an English teacher, whose husband dies because of an overdose; she tries to get even and plants a bomb in a high-rise apartment, killing four innocent people, while her only target was the drug dealer. She's captured and questioned. While being questioned, she meets a young official (Giovanni Ribisi) who changes her life although she knows she's already dead for everybody and that her mistake sank her forever. She's already guilt-ridden.
In most Tykwer's movies, his characters are filled with despair, anguish and pain. In this case even though the viewers don't want to, they like the killer of 4 innocent people, and encourage her to be free, and go along with her on that trip, which gets her closer to hell. The viewer only waits for the moment, in which, the naive and quiet boy who acts on a simple animal impulse will save her. 7/10
Red Dragon (2002)
The Portrait of a Killer!
`Red Dragon' is the beginning of everything. This new movie is different from the last version. It's built on events, situations and dialogues of the previous two, which are `the Silence of the Lambs' and `Hannibal'. The viewer finds out that even what was previously done becomes a summary for fans and beginners of Tomas Harris' books.
In the novel, the screenplay writer Ted Tally, the same of `The Silence of the Lambs,' makes it bigger and returns not only the same glass and metal cell. He makes Lecter a worse animal than in his other movies, although here he's younger.
Bret Ratner has achieved a movie that deepens this cursed character who, though isn't the center of the story. He has enough scenes and a lot of things to say with important meanings, so that everybody will enjoy the sensation of sadness when his polite voice asks his old enemy for his actual dreams. 'Red Dragon' is a movie where you can follow the danger of a beautiful and fragile blind woman (the only one able to make the killer have some tenderness), you can also see how frightening the Red dragon is, because he's come back worse than ever.
This is an entertaining movie, in which you'll enjoy Ralph Fiennes' acceptable performance and you'll see why some people become killers. It shows that it's not like they want to kill just for fun, but to show others that they don't want to be humiliated any more just as the grandmother did to Ralph's character. 7/10
In the novel, the screenplay writer Ted Tally, the same of `The Silence of the Lambs,' makes it bigger and returns not only the same glass and metal cell. He makes Lecter a worse animal than in his other movies, although here he's younger.
Bret Ratner has achieved a movie that deepens this cursed character who, though isn't the center of the story. He has enough scenes and a lot of things to say with important meanings, so that everybody will enjoy the sensation of sadness when his polite voice asks his old enemy for his actual dreams. 'Red Dragon' is a movie where you can follow the danger of a beautiful and fragile blind woman (the only one able to make the killer have some tenderness), you can also see how frightening the Red dragon is, because he's come back worse than ever.
This is an entertaining movie, in which you'll enjoy Ralph Fiennes' acceptable performance and you'll see why some people become killers. It shows that it's not like they want to kill just for fun, but to show others that they don't want to be humiliated any more just as the grandmother did to Ralph's character. 7/10
Iris (2001)
There was a lot of potential throughout the whole film, but it just didn't deliver in the end.
Having seen `Iris' I must stress that I didn't dislike the whole movie, because of the terrific performances by Kate Winslet, Judy Dench and Jim Broadbent, who got academy award nominations, which were well deserved.
Judy Dench gives a tender performance. She is an amazing old Iris who knows how to show real emotions without overdoing it. She was perfect for this part, and she really is similar to the young Iris played by Kate Winslet. Kate Winslet stands out as well. She's used to being nude in most of her movies, but in this movie she just doesn't do it for fun, but to show others that when you're in love, you don't mind swimming naked with your mate. Her kiss with another woman wasn't gratuitous; her character was brilliant, very individual, very independent, and tough for a man to live with.
Jim Broadbent gives a convincing performance. His age shows his experience as an actor and how well he plays any character he's asked for. This is one of the few times I agree with the Academy, since they decided to give the Oscar to this great actor, who never disappoints.
The story is about love, and how it can grow over time. We see young Iris and young Jim fall in love and remember their story and how they met with each other. One remarkable scene is when Iris and her husband nearly crashed and then they kiss each other while being on the grass close to the street. The movie becomes really predictable once we know that Iris has a disease; it's obvious she's going to die in the end; however, I was expecting a surprise or something, but it just ended like that, with nothing-unusual happening.
Overall this is an interesting movie that shows how much two people can love each other, no matter what! Unfortunately the movie is very predictable, so nothing moving or interesting happens in the end. 7/10
Judy Dench gives a tender performance. She is an amazing old Iris who knows how to show real emotions without overdoing it. She was perfect for this part, and she really is similar to the young Iris played by Kate Winslet. Kate Winslet stands out as well. She's used to being nude in most of her movies, but in this movie she just doesn't do it for fun, but to show others that when you're in love, you don't mind swimming naked with your mate. Her kiss with another woman wasn't gratuitous; her character was brilliant, very individual, very independent, and tough for a man to live with.
Jim Broadbent gives a convincing performance. His age shows his experience as an actor and how well he plays any character he's asked for. This is one of the few times I agree with the Academy, since they decided to give the Oscar to this great actor, who never disappoints.
The story is about love, and how it can grow over time. We see young Iris and young Jim fall in love and remember their story and how they met with each other. One remarkable scene is when Iris and her husband nearly crashed and then they kiss each other while being on the grass close to the street. The movie becomes really predictable once we know that Iris has a disease; it's obvious she's going to die in the end; however, I was expecting a surprise or something, but it just ended like that, with nothing-unusual happening.
Overall this is an interesting movie that shows how much two people can love each other, no matter what! Unfortunately the movie is very predictable, so nothing moving or interesting happens in the end. 7/10
Possession (2002)
A pleasant surprise from Neil LaBute!
The director Neil LaBute is famous in Hollywood for three movies: `In the Company of Men' (1997), `Your Friends and Neighbors'( 1998) and `Nurse Betty' (2000). This time he surprises viewers with `Possession': a personal and thought provoking film.
Based on A.S. Byatt's novel. `Possession,' tells the story of two couples. One is Victorian and the other is contemporary. An American researcher, Roland Mitchell (played by Aaron Eckart,) follows the steps of the English poet Radolph Ash. Then he discovers some letters sent by Ash to a mysterious woman. In a coincidence another researcher, a young English woman named Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow) studies the work and life of another Victorian intellectual, `Christabel La Motte'. The two meet with each other, and they realize that the mysterious woman could be Christabel. Then they start an investigation that leads them to discover dramatic events involving illicit relations (the poet is married and his lover is a lesbian and feminist). They begin to get involved with each other while living the passion and the drama of the two characters.
The story of the two couples of both epochs is universal and understandable. The viewer will find out that love, sex and what's not allowed remain the same, despite human progress in other areas. The ending is surprising as well as the whole movie. I must stress that I haven't read the book `Possession,' but I've heard good things about it. Without reading the book, I risk to say that perhaps this movie was quite faithful to it, because the movie is nicely organized, so that's something that makes the movie more understandable. This is an original story, which is not too corny and requires a thoughtful viewer.
The author of the screenplay, Laura Jones, does good dialogue. She's written great screenplays like `the Portrait of a lady' and `The Well,' which was one of the reasons why I saw it. The scenery is very beautiful; we get to see England and a lot of amazing landscapes. The actors give believable and intellectually interesting performances.
`Possession' is a movie, which you may like or hate. It depends on your taste. If you're into romantic, but not too corny movies, you'll probably like it, otherwise you won't. The movie is surprising, well done and original. 7/10
Based on A.S. Byatt's novel. `Possession,' tells the story of two couples. One is Victorian and the other is contemporary. An American researcher, Roland Mitchell (played by Aaron Eckart,) follows the steps of the English poet Radolph Ash. Then he discovers some letters sent by Ash to a mysterious woman. In a coincidence another researcher, a young English woman named Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow) studies the work and life of another Victorian intellectual, `Christabel La Motte'. The two meet with each other, and they realize that the mysterious woman could be Christabel. Then they start an investigation that leads them to discover dramatic events involving illicit relations (the poet is married and his lover is a lesbian and feminist). They begin to get involved with each other while living the passion and the drama of the two characters.
The story of the two couples of both epochs is universal and understandable. The viewer will find out that love, sex and what's not allowed remain the same, despite human progress in other areas. The ending is surprising as well as the whole movie. I must stress that I haven't read the book `Possession,' but I've heard good things about it. Without reading the book, I risk to say that perhaps this movie was quite faithful to it, because the movie is nicely organized, so that's something that makes the movie more understandable. This is an original story, which is not too corny and requires a thoughtful viewer.
The author of the screenplay, Laura Jones, does good dialogue. She's written great screenplays like `the Portrait of a lady' and `The Well,' which was one of the reasons why I saw it. The scenery is very beautiful; we get to see England and a lot of amazing landscapes. The actors give believable and intellectually interesting performances.
`Possession' is a movie, which you may like or hate. It depends on your taste. If you're into romantic, but not too corny movies, you'll probably like it, otherwise you won't. The movie is surprising, well done and original. 7/10
Road to Perdition (2002)
Not Bad, but Predictable!
Spoilers:
"Road to perdition" is a portrait of a killing. More than the confrontation between two generations separated by honor and truth - The movie is a look at the relationship between parents and children.
It was nice to see Tom Hanks and Paul Newman together because they're both good actors. This movie takes place in Chicago, 1931, and is narrated by a 12-year-old boy who finds out that the true work of his father, Michael Sullivan, is a mob hitman. Orphaned and poor, Sullivan is sheltered by Rooney, the head of the mob, as if he were another of his children. But it is Rooney's true son, Conner, who becomes a bloody beast; he is the one who unleashes one of the most dangerous scenes in the film.
As a father, despite his work, he struggles until the end to make his son happy and not follow his steps, because he wants the best for him. While the movie may be slow-paced; it still has some unforgettable characters like the psychopathic photographer (played by Jude Law) who is hired to find and kill Tom Hanks.
When you hear a plot like the one for this film, it can be easy for a person to guess the ending. The ending was a disappointment, and I was expecting something more from it. Overall, it's not a bad movie and it can be very enjoyable, but the predictability of the story may ruin the experience. 6/10
"Road to perdition" is a portrait of a killing. More than the confrontation between two generations separated by honor and truth - The movie is a look at the relationship between parents and children.
It was nice to see Tom Hanks and Paul Newman together because they're both good actors. This movie takes place in Chicago, 1931, and is narrated by a 12-year-old boy who finds out that the true work of his father, Michael Sullivan, is a mob hitman. Orphaned and poor, Sullivan is sheltered by Rooney, the head of the mob, as if he were another of his children. But it is Rooney's true son, Conner, who becomes a bloody beast; he is the one who unleashes one of the most dangerous scenes in the film.
As a father, despite his work, he struggles until the end to make his son happy and not follow his steps, because he wants the best for him. While the movie may be slow-paced; it still has some unforgettable characters like the psychopathic photographer (played by Jude Law) who is hired to find and kill Tom Hanks.
When you hear a plot like the one for this film, it can be easy for a person to guess the ending. The ending was a disappointment, and I was expecting something more from it. Overall, it's not a bad movie and it can be very enjoyable, but the predictability of the story may ruin the experience. 6/10
Joy Ride (2001)
There was a lot of potential throughout the whole film, but it just didn't deliver in the end.
I must say that I really enjoyed the movie, it was dark, interesting and it also showed that people can get in big trouble when they make fun of others, just as the main characters of this story did. Some of the scenes are somewhat gripping, I liked the way the main characters get what they deserve, they shouldn't have messed with an insane person.
The whole movie was about cars, and how the truck driver frightened them. In the end it's obvious that they're going to get rid of the truck driver, and when it seemed so, he suddenly lives again, it's the way most horror movies end. An example would be `I know what you did last Summer' as well as its sequel, which was more of a disappointment because of the end. In this movie happens the same, unfortunately, that's what it makes this movie not close to a must-see, but just watch it if you want to have some fun. 6/10
The whole movie was about cars, and how the truck driver frightened them. In the end it's obvious that they're going to get rid of the truck driver, and when it seemed so, he suddenly lives again, it's the way most horror movies end. An example would be `I know what you did last Summer' as well as its sequel, which was more of a disappointment because of the end. In this movie happens the same, unfortunately, that's what it makes this movie not close to a must-see, but just watch it if you want to have some fun. 6/10